1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for monitoring vehicle conditions and, more particularly, to devices especially adapted for vehicle conditions when the vehicle is in motion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When vehicles are in motion a number of hazardous conditions can develop as a result of the motion. For example, the rubber material that is used for recapping a tire can become loose, can tear, and can fly off of the tire during vehicle motion. Bad wheel bearings can undergo failure during vehicle motion. Loose universal joints can undergo failure during vehicle motion. Unfortunately, the serious, potentially hazardous conditions described above often do not reveal themselves until after a serious and often dangerous consequence has been manifested. More specifically, one may not become aware of a recapped tire problem until the recapped rubber flies off of the tire. One may not become award of defective wheel bearings until the wheel bearings undergo failure. One may not become aware of a defective universal joint until the universal joint fails.
In view of the above, it would be desirable if a device were provided that could detect looseness of the recapping material on a recapped tire before the recapping material flies off of the tire. Also, it would be desirable if a device could be provided which detects the presence of defective wheel bearings before the wheel bearings undergo failure. In addition, it would be desirable if a device could be provided which detects the presence of defective universal joints before the universal joints undergo failure.
Among the motor vehicles on the road, trucks haul large quantities of goods from place to place. The trucking industry loses large amounts of money and time because of breakdowns due to unexpected failures of recapped fires, wheel beatings, and universal joints. Loses of time an money can be related to time and costs of towing, time and costs of repairs at locations away from a home base, and spoilage of perishable products. Loses of time and money could be significantly reduced if defective conditions could be detected before failure results. Also, loses of time and money could be significantly reduced if defective conditions could be repaired at a home base between trips, not in the middle of a trip. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided which detects certain defects in a motor vehicle so that repairs can be made between trips.
A motor vehicle in general, and a truck or tractor trailer in particular, is a very complex piece of machinery that requires a great deal of knowledge and expertise to maintain and repair. Similarly, driving a truck or tractor trailer requires a special combination of knowledge and expertise. As a result, a motor vehicle mechanic is often not a truck driver, and a truck driver is often not a motor vehicle mechanic. This being the case, there are a number of potentially dangerous mechanical conditions that a truck or tractor trailer may have that a truck driver is not aware of. Yet, the truck driver is most at risk if such potentially dangerous conditions develop into actual mechanical failures. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided which enables a truck driver to be aware of potentially dangerous motor vehicle conditions as the truck or tractor trailer is being driven.
In general, trucks or tractor trailers currently in use possess indicator lights or gauges that signal a driver relating to such conditions as oil pressure, engine temperature, engine speed, fuel level, battery power, and brake pressure. However, trucks or tractor trailers currently in use do not possess indicators that signal a driver relating to such conditions as tire recap condition, wheel bearing condition, and universal joint condition. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided that readily retrofits current motor vehicles to monitor and signal a driver with respect to such conditions as tire recap condition, wheel bearing condition, and universal joint condition.
The detection and signalling of diverse potentially hazardous conditions in a moving motor vehicle may require diverse sensing and signalling systems. More specifically, to monitor the three conditions of tire recap condition, wheel bearing condition, and universal joint condition would seem to require three separate monitoring and detection systems. However, to retrofit a currently in use motor vehicle with three separate monitoring and detection systems may be to great a financial and technical burden. In this respect, it would be desirable if a single monitoring and signalling device were provided which simultaneously monitors the three conditions of tire recap condition, wheel bearing condition, and universal joint condition.
A tractor trailer that is commonly referred to as an 18 wheeler literally has 18 wheels. Eight wheels are on the trailer; and ten wheels are on the tractor with two wheels at the front of the tractor and eight wheels at the rear of the tractor. It would be unacceptably burdensome for eighteen separate monitors to be provided for monitoring the condition of recapped tires. Instead, it would be practical for a designated monitor to simultaneously monitor a plurality of wheels. For example, it would be desirable for one monitor assembly to monitor the four left wheels on the trailer. A second monitor assembly could monitor the four right wheels on the trailer. A third monitor assembly could monitor the four rear right wheels of the tractor; and a fourth monitor assembly could monitor the four rear left wheels of the tractor. It would be desirable for a second monitor to monitor the eight rear wheels of the tractor.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to monitoring certain motor vehicle conditions, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,087,783; and 4,574,490. Neither of these patents permit a driver to monitor the motor vehicle conditions of tire recap condition, wheel bearing condition, and universal joint condition.
In retrofitting current trucks and tractor trailers with monitoring assemblies that can monitor the conditions of tire recap condition, wheel bearing condition, and universal joint condition, it would be desirable to avoid running wires from the monitored sites to the tractor cab in which the driver sits. In this respect, it would be deskable if a monitoring device were provided for monitoring tire recap condition, wheel bearing condition, and universal joint condition that does not require wires running from monitoring assemblies to the driver of the motor vehicle.
Generally speaking, the use of radio waves and other waves for wireless communication from a transmitter to a receiver is well known in the art. The following U.S. patents, incorporated herein by reference, disclose exemplary wireless communication systems: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,939,418; 4,876,710; and 5,008,647. None of these patents disclose the use of wireless communication for communicating potentially hazardous conditions of a moving motor vehicle to the driver of the motor vehicle. As a matter of interest, U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,647 discloses a wireless speedometer or odometer for a bicycle that monitors wheel rotations per se. The wheel rotation causes signals to be sent per each rotation. The rotation signals are processed by a computer to indicate time and distance information. No safety information is either monitored or signalled.
Since a plurality of monitoring and signaling assemblies may be located on a single tractor trailer, it would be desirable for a driver to be able to easily select which particular monitoring and signaling assembly the driver wishes to pay particular attention to. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided in the cab of a motor vehicle that readily enables a driver to select a specific monitoring and signaling assembly to pay particular attention to.
Many signaling systems in a motor vehicle require a driver to take one's eyes off the road in order to detect the signal. For example, the driver must look at the temperature gauge, the speedometer, the oil pressure gauge, the battery gauge, and so forth. To avoid creating more situations in which the driver must take one's eyes off the road in order to monitor motor vehicle conditions, it would be desirable if the signal provided to the driver were an audible signal.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use visual signals for monitored motor vehicle conditions, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a vehicle monitoring apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) can detect looseness of recapping material on a recapped tire before the recapping material flies off of the tire; (2) can detect the presence of defective wheel bearings before the wheel bearings undergo failure; (3) can detect the presence of defective universal joints before the universal joints undergo failure; (4) can detect certain defects in a motor vehicle so that repairs can be made between scheduled trips as opposed to during a scheduled trip; (5) enables a truck driver to be aware of potentially dangerous motor vehicle conditions as the truck or tractor trailer is being driven; (6) possesses indicators that signal a driver relating to such conditions as tire recap condition, wheel beating condition, and universal joint condition; (7) readily retrofits current motor vehicles to monitor and signal a driver with respect to such conditions as tire recap condition, wheel bearing condition, and universal joint condition; (8) provides a single monitoring and signalling device which simultaneously monitors the three conditions of tire recap condition, wheel bearing condition, and universal joint condition; (9) employs a single monitoring assembly to simultaneously monitor a plurality of wheels; (10) does not require wires running from monitoring assemblies to the driver of the motor vehicle; (11) readily enables a driver to select a specific monitoring and signaling assembly to which particular attention can be paid; and (12) provides a driver of a motor vehicle with an audible signal for potentially hazardous conditions. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique audible vehicle monitoring apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.